READ THE CITIZENS' VOICE

Digital Only Subscription
Read the digital e-Edition of The Citizens' Voice on your PC or mobile device, and have 24/7 access to breaking news, local sports, contests, and more at citizensvoice.com or on our mobile apps.

Digital Services
Have news alerts sent to your mobile device or email, read the e-Edition, sign up for daily newsletters, enter contests, take quizzes, download our mobile apps and see the latest e-circulars.

Article Tools

Frank Lauri / The Citizens' Voice
Will Masteller (B) looks up as JC Show of Abington Heights makes a one-handed catch on a pass from Dante Pasqualichio.

BERWICK - In the chess match that was the District 2 Class AAA final, Abington Heights coach Joe Repshis had a few more pieces at his disposal.

And one very good move.

By installing a new offensive scheme in the past week, Repshis was hoping to keep Berwick from doing what it did best on defense.

The empty backfield, five-receiver set did just that, allowing the Comets to spread out the Dawgs and create enough mismatches on the outside to pave the way to a 44-35 win Saturday at Crispin Field, the program's third district title in the last four years and seventh overall.

"This was supposed to be two good defenses," Berwick coach George Curry said. "They went with five wideouts and they made us play in space and we had trouble with it."

Quarterback Dante Pasqualichio threw for three touchdowns, and Nate Hollander and Ryan Judge each accounted for two scores as Abington Heights advanced to the state playoffs.

The Comets will host Allentown Central Catholic at Scranton Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m., but getting there wasn't easy.

As much difficulty as Berwick had matching up with the Comets' receiving corps, Abington Heights had few answers for Jeff Steeber, who blazed his way to 181 yards and four touchdowns, or Matt Cushman, who amassed 283 return yards, scoring on a 99-yard kickoff return and setting up another score with a 75-yard punt return.

But in the end, the Comets were able to take Berwick's best shot and recover. They were clever on offense and had brute strength on defense when it was most needed.

"To be honest, I didn't doubt any one of my players," said Pasqualichio, whose three TD passes were a season high. "We all trusted that if we'd work together we could get the job done."

Berwick threw the first of many haymakers when Steeber broke a 76-yard sweep on his team's third snap. Olivia Seely hit the first of her five extra points and the Dawgs were off and running.

Hollander made a nifty 3-yard TD catch along the back line of the end zone to tie it at 7, but Cashman returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to make it 14-7.

"We just don't lose our heads, no matter what," said linebacker Jerry Langan, who had 13 tackles, two for loss including a fourth-quarter sack. "We've been in situ

from B1

ations where we've had to come back and we just did that today.

"They can bring a team down, the big plays, but we just keep our heads in it, no matter what. We'll take it down the field and score, and that's what we did."

The Comets appeared to settle for Ryan Patrick's 26-yard field goal on their next series, but a roughing the kicker penalty took the points off the board, instead setting up Judge's 6-yard touchdown with four seconds left in the first quarter.

Then Simon Williams was left unattended on a 22-yard tight end screen that gave Abington Heights its first lead, 21-14, with 3:20 left in the half.

J. C. Show, who had six catches for 88 yards and a TD, intercepted a tipped pass and returned it to the Berwick 20 on the next snap, and Patrick thumped a 42-yard field goal through the uprights 1:31 before halftime.

Berwick responded, marching quickly to the Abington Heights 4. Eschewing a field goal with eight seconds left, defensive lineman Peter Hubbard diagnosed a quarterback draw and stopped C.J. Curry at the 2 as time expired.

"That was a big momentum play right there," Repshis said. "I think that was a big play in the game amongst a lot of big plays and turning points in four quarters."

Steeber scored three touchdowns in the second half, the first two sandwiched around Hollander's fourth kickoff return for a score this season. Steeber's last score came after Judge sprinted 26 yards on a simple blast play for a 38-28 lead with 2:32 left in the third.

The fourth score by Steeber, a 2-yard run, cut the lead to 38-35 with 7:25 remaining, but once again the Comets had the answer, marching 69 yards in seven plays. Pasqualichio hit Show on third-and-4 at the Berwick 10, and the junior receiver beat the defenders to the pylon for the final score.

"Today was an opportunity where throwing the ball was something that was very productive for us, in any situation, any quarter, anywhere on the field," Repshis said. "We're a very balanced football team. Dante throws the ball very well and we have very good receivers who catch the football and run with it after the catch.

"Credit the offensive line for giving Dante time to throw the ball, and our running backs were running downhill and picking up tough yards when we needed it."

Berwick also struggled to contain the Comets' pass rush in the second half, allowing three sacks, two from Williams.

"We can run the football, no question, and we did run the football," coach Curry said. "When we ran seven-man (pass) protection, we were OK. But six- or five-man protection, we struggled. And there were times with seven-man protection, there were times we couldn't handle one of their guys.

"It was either (Hubbard) or (Williams), somebody was just running over our blockers."

Contact the writer: mmyers@timesshamrock.com On Twitter @mmtimes

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.